Courtship processing in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Selection for receptivity to wingless males

The first experiment was a selection procedure designed to increase the receptivity of Drosophila melanogaster females to males whose courtship had become less effective through attenuation of wing vibration. The clearest response was in the percentage of females receptive per generation, but changes were also detected in courtship duration and latency to courtship. The two selected and two control lines were hybridized in experiment 2, and the hybrid of the selected lines (Selx) was found to maintain the adaptation to selection of its parents. The relative receptivity of all female types was compared in experiment 3. The results demonstrated that adaptations had occurred in the females' courtship processing, rather than merely in the males' ability to court.